The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for making Nigiri Sushi and other Sushi products. More particularly, the present invention provides a kit including an improved molding apparatus and method of making Nigiri, square, rectangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, etc., as well as any polygonal design as well as Maki or California Rolls.
In the traditional production and preparation of sushi products, such as Nigiri and Maki Sushi (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cSushi Rollsxe2x80x9d), a significant amount of time and effort is required. Nigiri are small ball or oval shaped forms of vinegared boiled rice topped with sliced fish, shellfish or other traditional toppings. The art of Nigiri is in the formation of the rice ball and more particularly, the proper compression of the rice to hold its shape during consumption. Once the rice ball is formed, the topping is added. Production rate and uniformity of the Sushi Roll in restaurant or other food facility requires experience, training, and skill which are all dependent upon the experienced of the chef. The present invention addresses these potential disadvantages of traditional sushi products by providing a method, apparatus, and kit for forming high quality Nigiri Sushi and Sushi Rolls which could be utilized in household, domestic, restaurant, food service, and food production environments.
The Sushi Rolls are thin sheets of seaweed (nori) topped with a layer of vinegared boiled rice and a second layer of crab, fish, or vegetables or other traditional toppings. Traditionally, the nori, rice and toppings are then rolled by hand with a bamboo mat so as to tighten and consolidated the ingredients forming an elongate horizontal roll. The California Roll is then sliced vertically into smaller bite sized pieces. Like Nigiri, the art of the California Roll is forming a compact horizontal roll that will maintain its shape after cutting and during consumption. And like Nigiri, production rate and uniformity for environments such as a restaurant is generally slow even for the most experienced chef.
The present invention provides a kit for producing a high quality sushi product with uniformity and at a high rate of production. The kit includes a Nigiri Sushi mold and a Sushi Roller apparatus. In a preferred embodiment, the kit may include a traditional Japanese bento box that houses both the Nigiri Sushi mold and the selected Sushi Roll. The Nigiri Sushi mold is made up of a mold having several indentations for supporting the preferred ingredients. Each indentation includes an opening at the lowest point or base of the indentation. The mold has rimmed upper area for receiving a plate. The plate is configured with funnels extending from a flat surface and an outer profile similar to the rimmed upper area of the mold. These funnels correspond to the indentations located on the lower mold. An elongated press is provided and is shaped at one end identical to the funnels of the plate and at the other end is shaped identical to the opening at the lowest point of the mold. The outer profiles of both ends of the press are slightly smaller than the openings intended for seating within the plate and mold.
To form Nigiri Sushi, the Nigiri mold is placed on a level surface. A preferred topping is first place within the indentations of the mold. This is opposite the traditional method wherein the topping is placed after the rice ball has been formed. Next, the plate is seated within the mold and Wasabi is applied through various means, such as a tube, followed by vinegared rice being placed within the funnels. The funnel end of the press is used to press and compact the rice into the funnel and the indentations of the mold. The press or push tool may also be utilized by the user to achieve a desired amount of texture, consistency, or compactness of the sushi product The press and the funnel plate are then removed from the top of the mold. The mold is then rotated or turned upside down by the user which then allows gravity to displace the sushi product from the mold when the mold comes into contact with a level surface, such as a counter, assembly line, or food service station. Any remaining sushi product in the mold can then be removed with a press or push tool or instrument. For example, the opposite end of the press is used to gently remove the newly formed Nigiri Sushi from the indentations in the mold by inserting the press end into the openings provided in the bottom of the mold indentations. The Nigiri Sushi may then be served in the bento box, a sushi plate, or any other type of serving platform. Since the rice ball is rotated 180 degrees, the topping is now correctly located on top of the rice ball as tradition dictates.
The apparatus used to form the Sushi Rolls sits atop an inverted Nigiri mold and includes a roller sheet comprising an integrated roller rod, a flexible sheet or material, such as silicone, and a stopper that is flexibly attached to a base plate. In a preferred embodiment, the roller is supported by the Nigiri mold inverted to form a level support surface. A rolling rod with a set of opposing handles may be removably attached to one end of the roller sheet. A stopper may be removably attached to the opposite end of the roller sheet and secures the roller sheet to the base plate.
The California Roll is made by placing a sheet of seaweed on the silicone roller sheet between the rolling rod and the stopper within the edges of the inverted Nigiri mold. A layer of vinegared rice is spread to cover the seaweed. A layer of filling is added on top of the rice and preferably is spaced from the rolling rod. To successfully form the California Roll, the handles of the rolling rod are grasped and move the roller sheet toward the stopper. The roller rod is lifted and turned so that the flat surface of the rod is facing the selected filling. The flat surface (roller slip) is pushed against the filling using a forward motion by the user to push and compact the filling. An example of the rolling method allows a user to effectively form sushi products through a xe2x80x9creverse rollxe2x80x9d method or process whereby the user initially manipulates the silicone in a counter-clockwise direction and then manipulates the roller rod in a clockwise direction thereby forming and moving the sushi product along the base plate and toward the user. Although it will be appreciated that the desired manipulation can be either in a clockwise or counter-clockwise motion, it should be seen that the desired technique, method, or process forces the ingredients to roll up forming an elongated cylinder. At the end of this xe2x80x9creverse rollxe2x80x9d process, the sushi product itself will generally come into contact with the stopper, thereby positioning the roller slightly below the stopper. If the user continues to manipulate the roller in a clockwise direction, the circumference of the silicone around the roll will decrease in size thus compacting or compressing the rice and other filling to form the desired texture, consistency, and compactness of the desired sushi product. When the cylinder reaches the stopper, the rolling rod is brought back to its original position by the user. Once compacted, the California Roll is removed from the roller sheet and cut vertically into serving size pieces. The Japanese bento box top or inverted bottom may be used as a serving plate.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description in combination with the accompanying drawings, which depict systems and components that can be used alone or in combination with each other in accordance with the present invention.